Electric signaling apparatus.



N4. M. WATSON.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APP-LIGATION FILED MAY 21, 1906.

902,630. Patented Nov.53,19os.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N. M. WATSON.

ELEGTRIG SIGNALING- APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 190s.

902,630.l Patented NOV. 3, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WM @Y ww 1H: Nonms rrsRs cu.. wAsHmaTaN. n. c.

N. M. WATSON.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED nu 21, 190e.

902,630. Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N. M. WATSON. ELECTRIC SGNALING APPARATUS.

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ator all included in an electric circuit. Fig.

IINTTED STATES PATENT feIl'EETQ.

MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO .TOI'IN HENRY OARSTENS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

NELSON M. WATSON, OF DETROIT,

ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.

Specication of Letters Patent. Application filed May 21, 1906. Serial No. 317,877.-

No. 902,630. Patented Nov. 3, 190s.

To all whom it may concern: mitting or signal-sending mechanism, as on Be it known thatI, NELSON M. IA'rsoN, a line 6 6 of Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary citizen of the United States, residing at view, partly in section, as on line 7-7 of Detroit, in the county of Wayne, State of Fig. 6.

have invented certain new and This invention is herein illustrated as adapted for use in transmitting signals from the captain or master of a boat to the engineer; the system however is capable of many other applications, as will be well understood.

Referring to the characters of reference 1 designates the signal-transmitting lever which is located at some point accessible to the master of the boat. Said lever is mounted upon a rock shaft 2 journaled in bearings in a suitable case 3. Associated with said lever is a circle bar 4 curved concentric with the axis of oscillation of the lever, and having indicated thereon certain signals which it is desirable from time to time to transmit to the engineer. Upon the under side of the circle bar are notches 5 which register with said indicated signals, and in which a dog or detent 6 is adapted to engage to lock the transmitting lever against movement, said detent being attached to a reciprocatory rod 7 which passes through the handle 8 of the lever and carries at its upper end a knob 9. Mounted below said reciprocatory rod and engaging the lower end thereof is a compressible spring l0. By depressing the rod 7 through a pressure upon the knob 9, the detent will be disengaged from the notches 5, permitting the lever 1 to be moved freely. A release of the knob 9 when the lever shall have been properly placed, will cause the spring I() to force the detent 6 -into one of the notches 5 and lock the lever in place. At the back of the case 3 is an insulated block ll, shown in Fig. 6, in which are seated the semicircular contact plates l2 and 13. Mounted upon the inner end of the rock shaft 2 is a cross arm I4 on the opposite ends of which are mounted the blocks l5 and 16 of insulating material, also shown in Fig. 6, in which are seated contact pins 17 and 18 which bear upon the plates 12 and 13 respectively, and are held in yielding contact with said plates by the springs 19. Connecting the pins 17 and 1S is a conductor 20. The battery or source of electric energy is indicated at 21. From the battery the circuit 22 leads to the Contact plate l2 through the signal lights 23 which are located at opposite ends of the circle bar 4 and are in mul- Michigan, useful Improvements in Electric Signaling Apparatus; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and ligures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specilication.

This invention relates to an electric signal system, especially designed for use in transmitting signals from the master of a boat to the engineer, and consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set forth and point-ed out particularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and eificient means whereby the master or captain of a boat may transmit to the engineer certain signals indicative of the direction in which he desires the engine to run and the speed at which he desires the engine driven, together with other signals such as Stand by, Finishech etc., and wherein the arrangement is such as to indicate to the master the proper carrying out of his orders on the part of the engineer.

The above object is attained by the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a general or diagrammatical view with part of the wiring omitted, showing the masters signal apparatus, the levers which control the engine and the annunci- 2 is a diagrammatical view, showing the signaling lever, the circuit changers or switches, the electric circuits connecting said parts and connected with the visual signals and the electric battery. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the interior of one of the cases connected with the throttle or speed controlling lever of the engine, with a side of said case removed, showing the switches or circuit openm ers and closers contained therein. Fig. l is a similar' view of the case connected with I the reversing lever of the engine. Fig. 5 is a transverse section as on line 5-5 of Fig. 3. i Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the transl tiple in said circuit, so that at least one of said lights will. always be in service, should the other become burned out. The contact plate 13, as will be seen on referring to Figs. 2 and 7, :is divided into a number of independent sections 24- which are insulated from each other. Communicating with each of said divisions of the plate 13 is a circuit wire which leads to the annunciator 25 (see Fig. l) and to the circuit openers and closers controlled by the levers of the engine, said wires being connected to the return battery wire 26 in which is included the electric bell 27.

The circuit wires that are connected with the signals that control the forward movement of the boat, are connected with the circuit opener and closer, which is operated through a manipulation ot' the speed or throttle lever, which is indicated at 27 in Fig. l, and by branch lines with the circuit opener and closer manipulated by a movement of the reversing lever indicated at 29u. The signals pertaining to or controlling the backward movement of the boat, are in like manner connected with the circuit-openers and closers that are manipulated by a movement of said levers.

The circuit openers and closers above referred to are located in metal cases 28 and 29 respectively, of which 2S is connected with the throttle lever by means of a connecting' rod 30 which is pivoted to the crank arm 3l on a rock shaft 32 ournaled in said case and carrying' upon its inner end a disk 33 of insulating material upon which are seated segmental contact plates 36 which are spaced from each other to insure insulation. Mounted upon blocks 34 of insulating material and extending onto the surface of the disk 33 are contact brushes 37 with which the circuit wires are connected. `When the brushes of a certain circuit are resting upon one of the segmental contact plates of the disk 33, the closing of said circuit by a movement of the lever l at the transmitting' station, will cause a current to How through said circuit, through the brushes, between which the contact plate establishes the continuity of the circuit, and through the bell and battery, ringing said bell and calling the eng'ineers attention to the signal which is indicated by the glow of the signal lamps in multiple in said circuit, as hereinafter eX- plained. In order to stop the ringing of the bell, the engineer must move the throttle lever so to give the speed to the engine indicated by the signal, which movement of the throttle lever will so actuate the disk as to carry the segmental contact plate thereon with which the brushes are in engagement, out of engagement with said brushes, thereby opening the circuit and stopping the ringing of the bell, provided the reversing lever is in the proper position. The bell in all cases will continue to ring until the order given l shall have been properly executed by a movement of one or both levers as the case may be.

On referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that in each of the signal circuits, the signal lamps 35 are arranged in multiple and that opposite or between said lamps is a word or words indicating direction and speed. Upon the ringing of the bell, the engineer looks at the annunciator to see what order has been given, and then moves the levers of the engine to execute said order. lf the levers are properly moved in accordance with the signal given, the circuit will be opened and the ringing of the bell will cease. It will be noted in this connection that upon the closing of any of the circuits by the master at the transmitting station for the purpose of transmitting a signal to the engineer, the lights 23 will be at once placed in circuit and will be permitted to burn as long as the circuit is closed, thus enabling the master to tell, by the extinction of the lights, that the order has been properly eXecuted.

lt will not be necessary to trace out all of the circuits indicated in order to convey an understanding of the. operation of the system. rl`he following examples will be sutlicient, reference being had more particularly to F ig'. 2. Assuming that the parts are in their normal position and that the captain desires to signal the engineer to start the engine at slow speed ahead, the lever l is accordingly moved to a point on the circle bar indicating said signal, thereby causing the contact pin 1S to engage the third from the left of the divided contacts 24, shown in Fig. 2, with which the circuit wire a is connected, thereby causing a tlow of current from the battery through said wire and through the lights 35 in the annunciator corresponding with said signal., thence to the contact brushes 37 which form a part of the circuit fz and which rest upon the contact plate 36 in the case 28; continuing from said brushes, said line a connects with the battery circuit 26 in which is included the bell 27, thereby causing the bell to ring and the lights to burn opposite the signal Slow ahead, indicating to the engineer the transmitted order. rlhe lights 23 at the transmitting station are caused to burn as long as circuit a remains closed as are also the lights in the annunciator, while the bell will ring until the circuit is opened. ln order to open circuit a it is necessary for the engineer to move the throttle lever in the proper direction to obey the order given, which movement rotates the disk 33 through the connectingrod 30 and crank 3l to carry the contact plate 36 from engagement with the contact brushes 37 of said circuit, thereby putting out the lights at the annunciator and causing the bell to cease ringing, at the same time putting out the lights 23 at the transn'iitting station, and indicating to the captain that his order has been properly obeyed. Should the engineerl mistake the order and move the throttle lever in a direction other than that indicated by the signal, the circuit will remain closed, causing the lights to continue to burn and the bell to continue to ring, calling the engineers attention to his mistake and indicating to the captain that his order had not been properly obeyed.

The movement ot the throttle lever in starting the engine, so rotates the disk 33 as to place in Contact with the other ot the segmental plates 36, all or the contact brushes otl the remaining circuits so that any one or said circuits may be closed by a proper movement or the lever 1 at the transmitting station, the length or the segmental contact plates 36 being such as to' maintain the brushes in Contact therewith except when the throttle lever is moved to open a circuit in response to some given signal, the airangement being such that all or the circuits in the case 28 remain closed through their brushes and corresponding contact plates, except the circuit over which the last signal was given which circuit is necessarily opened by the movement ot' the throttle lever in obeying said signal.

Connected with the reversing lever 29n through the connecting rod 38 and the crank 39 is a rot-a ry disk 40, ot insulzning material, in the case 29, said disk carrying` the segmental contact plates 41, similar to disk 33, there being in said case contact springs 42 which form a part of the circuits leading to said case, and which are adapted to have contact with said plates 41.

lt will be noted hat each ot the circuits leading to the case 28 has a branch which leads to the case 2S), the branch or circuit a being a. Should it be desired to reverse the engine and the order Slow astern is given, contact pin 18 would connect the battery circuit with the line Z) which leads to the annunciator and through the signal lights 43 corresponding with said signal, which, as will be seen in Fig. 2, are red. From said lights, the line passes to the contact brushes 44 in the case 28, and thence to the battery circuit 26. From the line b leads branch line Z9 of which the contact brushes 45 in the case 29 rorm a part, said brushes being connected through the contact plate 46 on which they bear, thereby ettecting the continuity et said branch ine to the battery line or circuit; therefore, when the order Slow astern is given, it will be necessary t'or the engineer to operate the reversing lever so as to open the circuit at the contact springs 45, and also to operate the throttle lever to open the circuit at the contact spring 44. ln like manner all or the other circuits may be closed to give any desired signal, of

which the apparatus is capable, the arrangement, as will be seen, being such as to reduire a proper execution ot the order before the circuit which is closed in transmitting the signal, can be opened. 1t will be noted that all ot the astern lights are red, and all ot the t ahead lights in the annunciator are white; thereby enabling the engineer to more readily distinguish the signals.

lt will further be noted that the operation or the reversing lever to open the branch circuit b by carrying the outer segmental contact plate 46 from the contact brushes 45, will carry the inner contact plates 4T into contact with the contact brushes ot the lines of the signals pertaining to the forward movement ot the boat, so that should the signal following Slow astern be Halt speed ahead the line c will be closed through the annunciator lights corresponding to said signal, and through the contact brushes 4S or the case 2S, and also by means of the branch line c through the contact brushes 49 in the case 29 to the battery circuit 26, requiring the necessary movement ot the reversing lever as well as the throttle lever to open said circuit. rlhe arrangement ot the cont-act plates on the rotary disks in the cases 28 and 29 with respect to Jthe contact brushes of the various circuits is such that the movement of the throttle or reversing lever or both necessary to open a circuit which has been closed at the transmitting station, opens the circuit only through which the signal was transmite l, leaving the other circuits in a condition to transmit a signal should any ot said circuits be closed at the transmitting station. It is believed that an explanation ot' the operation ot all of the circuits will not be necessary in view of the explanations already made, as the operations in the matter of the other circuits are the same those already described. There are two circuits in connection with this system however that are not associated with the throttle and reversing levers, said circuits relatingto the signals Stand by and Finished.

On referring to Fig. 2 the transmitting lever will be seen in the position to close the circuit or the signal Stand by thereby throwing the battery circuit onto the line (Z, through the corresponding lights in the annunciator, and thence to the switch 50 and to battery circuit 26. To open said circuit it is necessary for the engineer to actnate said switch, thereby indicating to the otlicer that the engineer is in his proper place to receive any signals which he may wish to transmit. The opening of the switch 50 to break the circuit through the signal Stand by closes said switch onto Contact point 51 so that when the officer wishes to signal that the work is finished and the transmitting lever 1 is moved to that position, the battery current will be passed through the line c, through the signal lights in the annunci.- ator corresponding therewith, and thence to the switch 50 and to the battery wire QU, notifying the engineer that the work is lin-- ished, the engineer acknowledging the receipt of the signal by moving the switch 50 to open the circuit c.

Having thus full f 'what I claim as new Letters Patent, is

l. In an electric Signaling system, the combination with two levers of an engine, of a circuit including a source ot electrical energy and an alarm, a transmitting device included in said circuit, a plurality of signal circuits leading from the transmitting device, a visual signal in each of said circuits, two sets of circuit closers for each of said circuits, means for connecting to each engine lever one of said circuit closers, and means at the transmitting apparatus ior closing the battery circuit through any one of said signal circuits.

2. ln an electric signaling system, the combination of a battery circuit including an alarm, a signal transmitter and a plurality ot signal circuits normally open at said transmitter, each of said signal circuits including an annunciator and two circuit breakers, the circuit breakers for the several signal circuits being arranged in sets, two levers, each lever being connected with a set ot' circuit breakers and common to all of the circuit breakers ot' the set to which it is connected, and a movable clement at the transmitter for connecting the battery circuit independently with each oi' the signal circuits.

In an electric signaling apparatus, the combination with the throttle and reversing levers of an engine, o t' a battery circuit vincluding an alarm, a signal transmitting device, a plurality of normally open signal circuits each having a signal indicative ot a movement of one or both of said levers, two

set forth my invention, and desire to secure by circuit breakers in each of the signal circuits, means connecting a set of said circuit breakers with each of said levers respectively, and means for independently connecting the signal circuits with the battery circuit at the transmitten e. In a signal system, the combination of a battery circuit including an alarm and a visual signal, a transmitting station, a plurality of signal circuits including a visual signal and a circuit breaker, means for connecting the battery circuit independently with each of the signal circuits through the transmitting` station, and means common to all of the signal circuits -for actuating the circuit breakers therein to independently open said circuits.

5. ln an electric signaling system, the combination with a battery circuit, of a plurality of signal circuits including a visual signal and a circuit breaker, branch circuits leading' from said circuit breaker to and including a second circuit breaker through which all of the signal circuits may be opened and closed, means for operating said circuit breakers independently to open and close any of the individual circuits, and means for independently connecting the bat tery circuit with each of the signal circuits.

6. .In a signaling system, the combination with the throttle lever of an engine, of a battery circuit, a plurality of signal circuits each including a visual signal, a circuit maker and breaker for each signal circuit, means for actuating each circuit maker and breaker by a movement of the engine lever, and means for connecting each signal circuit independently with the battery circuit.

ln testimony whereof, I sign this specication in the presence of two witnesses.

NELSON M. WATSON. wWitnesses E. S. WHEELER, I. G. HowLET'r. 

